AUTHOR=Liang Shi-Bing , Wang Yi-Fei , Niu Zhen-Chao , Li Yu-Fei , Zheng Hui-Min , Huan Jia-Ming , Yuan Jie , Robinson Nicola , Liu Jian-Ping , Li Yun-Lun 

TITLE=Chinese patent medicine tongxinluo capsule as a supplement to treat chronic coronary syndromes: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1499585

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2024.1499585

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundChronic coronary syndromes (CCS) is a common clinical condition that increases the risk of cardiovascular events at any time. Tongxinluo capsules (TXL) are widely used in China for treating CCS.ObjectivesTo systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of adding TXL to Western medical treatment (WM) for CCS.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases up to August 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the therapeutic effects and safety of combining TXL with WM compared to WM alone for CCS. Data analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.4 software.ResultsTwenty studies involving 2091 participants were identified. Evidence supports the use of TXL plus WM for reducing angina frequency [SMD −2.50, 95% CI (−3.53, −1.48)], improving seattle angina questionnaire scores (P < 0.05), decreasing nitroglycerin dose [SMD −1.63, 95% CI (−2.26, −1.00)], and shortening angina duration [MD −1.50 min/once, 95% CI (−1.98, −1.02)]. Adding TXL to WM showed a non-significant trend toward reducing myocardial infarction [RR 0.34, 95% CI (0.05, 2.12); NNT = 41] and sudden cardiac death [RR 0.34, 95% CI (0.01, 8.28); NNT = 65]. No increase in adverse events was observed when TXL was added to WM [RR 1.02, 95% CI (0.70, 1.49); NNT = 149].ConclusionsOur review suggests that TXL may offer additional therapeutic benefits for CCS patients and appears to be safe when combined with WM. Further investigations are warranted to confirm the potential impact of adding TXL to WM for CCS.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024499031, PROSPERO (CRD42024499031).